Protein Response Predicts Depression Treatment Efficacy in T1DM

HealthDay News — Higher baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is associated with less treatment-linked improvement in depression in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online August 3 in Diabetes Care.

Daniela Zahn, Ph.D., from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany, and colleagues examined the correlation between hs-CRP and depression in patients with diabetes. Participants with diabetes and major depression undergoing depression treatment were randomized to 12 weeks of diabetes-specific group cognitive behavioral therapy or sertraline treatment and followed for 15 months. In 219 patients, hs-CRP was assessed at baseline and at the end of the long-term phase.

The researchers found that even after adjustment for confounders there were significant interactions between baseline hs-CRP and diabetes type for short- and long-term improvement in depression. Higher baseline hs-CRP correlated with less improvement in type 1 diabetes, but there was no significant correlation in type 2 diabetes.

"In a large sample of patients with poorly controlled diabetes, we found evidence that higher baseline hs-CRP predicts poorer outcomes of depression treatment in type 1 diabetes," the authors write. "Although hs-CRP appeared to be less relevant in type 2 diabetes, including other markers of inflammation as suggested by others may be necessary to determine the role of inflammation and depression outcomes in this group."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.